Sorry if I missed this somewhere on the website, but I was looking for details about what the license covers and how upgrades worked. Do you only get free upgrades within a major version? Do you get free lifetime upgrades? Is a consumer edition license only valid for one machine at home? Can a license be "released" to another machine if you change hardware or have to wipe/reinstall?

I'm mostly interested in using the DoubleSpace functionality as a faster way to create WIMBoot images to deploy to my small home network. So I'd likely be building a Win 8.1 Update system in a VM, running DoubleSpace, then capturing the image for deployment (either SysPrep'd or Disk2VHD or some other method).

A: We end up having to change the serial number generation algorithm every once a few years, because of the proliferation of cracks for that serial number generation algorithm. When this happens, you wouldn't be able to get the new version, unless you are current on your maintenance plan. The ZIPmagic suite is updated aggressively and frequently (ex: DoubleSpace wasn't even invented until this year), so it will be well worth your while to remain current on your maintenance; ensuring you are eligible to receive the latest inventions in disk and file compression. However you may also get more than one free major version without maintenance.

Q: Do you get free lifetime upgrades?

A: No, please see above.

Q: Is a consumer edition license only valid for one machine at home?

A: Yes. Very aggressive instant discounts are available for 2 licenses or more on a sliding scale per quantity.

Q: Can a license be "released" to another machine if you change hardware or have to wipe/reinstall?

A: Yes, this is "automatic": It is done on the basis of trusting you, the end-user, to not abuse the serial keys you have received.

ZIPmagic was offered in the past with an annual maintenance option. ZIPmagic aggressively updates its product to add more and more compelling features each year; to give you a brief overview of the new features that were added in 2014:

Compare this with tools like WinZip and WinRAR, and it is easy to see how our maintenance plan is justified.

However as a promotion, we have currently removed selling the maintenance plan. This does not mean future upgrades will always be unconditionally free (i.e. we won't pull a WinZip on you - when Corel bought WinZip, they suddenly started charging lifetime customers for upgrades that were supposed to be free, for ever).

There are currently no plans to revamp the serial generation algorithm and to require current users to upgrade. However, based on the future evolution of the tool, we may do this; at that point we will offer all our current customers with very affordable maintenance (it was selling for $9.95 before being removed as part of our current promotion).

Either way, the version you purchase today will work perpetually (and it does not require online activation at all). So you may order in confidence

And rest assured that if we do charge you for an upgrade, it is because we've really done so much work, as to justify the upgrade. It will never be mandatory and you can always use your current version perpetually.